On This Page8 sections
Editorial snapshot from September 2026. Prices, models and interface labels may change; this is a practical guide, not a live product feed.
Grok’s coding agent with a terminal interface, script mode and ACP integration.
Coding agent · xAI / SpaceXAI · macOS · Windows · Linux
Suitable workflows
Grok-based development and embedding an agent in terminal scripts or ACP clients.
Limitations and billing
Browser login and API access have different billing paths; a chat subscription is not an API allowance.
Capabilities we verified
Agent workflow · CLI surface · MCP · Skills · Rules / instructions · Hooks · Bring your own key
This is an evidence-based shortlist, not an exhaustive feature inventory. Omitted capabilities have not been checked for this record.
Pricing & usage
See official pricing
Account access or metered API usage. The cost of metered usage or an external agent can be separate from the subscription.
Models & access
Grok models and configurable API endpoints; inspect the active model before running a task.
Verified families: Grok.
Install and start the CLI
macOS, Linux or WSL for this installer; use the official PowerShell instructions on Windows.
curl -fsSL https://x.ai/cli/install.sh | bashOpen your project folder in a terminal, then run:
grokAccount and authentication
First launch opens browser authentication. Headless environments can use XAI_API_KEY.
Project configuration and tools
Configure models in ~/.grok/config.toml. Run grok inspect to inspect instructions, skills, hooks and MCP discovery.
First task to try
Ask Grok to trace a function across files, then review its proposed implementation plan.
Script usage
This example asks for a project summary. Tool permissions still apply; a prompt is not a sandbox.
grok -p "Summarize the project structure without modifying files."Related CLI tools
Codex — OpenAI’s coding agent for local projects and cloud tasks.
Claude Code — Anthropic’s coding agent for terminal and editor workflows.
OpenCode — An open-source coding agent with a terminal UI and configurable model providers.
Project evaluation checklist
- Open a small, familiar project and confirm that your essential language tooling works.
- Give the agent one bounded change with an observable acceptance criterion.
- Review the diff, run the project’s checks and compare the result with your current workflow.
- Inspect usage after the task. Estimate a month of similar work, including any separate model or agent bill.
Related TRAE guides
Continue Reading
More articles connected to the same themes, protocols, and tools.
The Little Prince: Across the Stars — Play the 16-Day AI 3D Game and Build Your Own
The X Subscription (X Pass) Explained: Pricing, Grok, Cursor, Hidden Costs, and Whether It's Worth Switching in 2026
Herdr GUI Is Now Roamgate: The Complete Guide to Managing AI Coding Agents from Your Browser
Referenced Tools
Browse entries that are adjacent to the topics covered in this article.
